Most helpful positive review

I recently purchased the PT730. I have owned a Norelco 5842 XL for 26 years. It has dropped down to about 1 week of use per charge from the 6 weeks it was for many years. I am only on my second set of shaving heads. I just got tired of charging it weekly. The old razor outperforms the PT730 in every way. The only advantage the new one has is that it is lighter and quieter and that is mostly due to it having a marginal motor. It has no more than half the power of the old razor. I was also surprised to find that it doesn't shave as closely as my 15 year old cutting heads. Maybe things have to wear in a bit for optimum closeness.

Fortunately for me, the PT730 does an adequate job because I don't have very heavy whiskers. For those who have light to medium whiskers, this shaver will be fine. If you have manly-man stubble I would suggest looking for something with more power. If you require a very close shave, look elsewhere as well.

UPDATE - I have had the razor for a month now and I feel obligated to up my rating from 3 stars to 5 stars. The heads or my face broke in after 3 or 4 days and I am now getting a very nice shave. It went 4 weeks on the first charge being used 5 days a week. I went 3 days without shaving once and when I did resume, there was no pulling or tugging at all. Very nice. I still find the motor to be weak, but it seems to do the job for me, and I really like the light weight and low noise. I would still be hesitant if you grow really heavy whiskers, but to all others I say buy this one.

Most helpful critical review

I've used Norelco shavers for ... at least 4 decades. My latest shaver gave up the ghost after a decade. I ordered the PT730 as a compromise between frills (battery indicator) and features (pop up trimmer). The special pricing by Amazon was a strong inducement.

My first impression is that the shaver is built very cheaply for the price. It is lighter, possibly owing to the switch from heavier Ni-Cd batteries. The cut is less efficient than had from prior Norelco shavers, possibly because the motor seems to spin at a slower speed. I suppose the razor is OK, but its definitely not the best.

ADDENDUM

I find that I have to use a regular blade every week or so to "catch up" with overgrowth. After a year or so, I'd have to conclude that I'm not impressed with this razor.

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I recently purchased the PT730. I have owned a Norelco 5842 XL for 26 years. It has dropped down to about 1 week of use per charge from the 6 weeks it was for many years. I am only on my second set of shaving heads. I just got tired of charging it weekly. The old razor outperforms the PT730 in every way. The only advantage the new one has is that it is lighter and quieter and that is mostly due to it having a marginal motor. It has no more than half the power of the old razor. I was also surprised to find that it doesn't shave as closely as my 15 year old cutting heads. Maybe things have to wear in a bit for optimum closeness.

Fortunately for me, the PT730 does an adequate job because I don't have very heavy whiskers. For those who have light to medium whiskers, this shaver will be fine. If you have manly-man stubble I would suggest looking for something with more power. If you require a very close shave, look elsewhere as well.

UPDATE - I have had the razor for a month now and I feel obligated to up my rating from 3 stars to 5 stars. The heads or my face broke in after 3 or 4 days and I am now getting a very nice shave. It went 4 weeks on the first charge being used 5 days a week. I went 3 days without shaving once and when I did resume, there was no pulling or tugging at all. Very nice. I still find the motor to be weak, but it seems to do the job for me, and I really like the light weight and low noise. I would still be hesitant if you grow really heavy whiskers, but to all others I say buy this one.

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Let me start off by saying that the purpose of buying a rotary razor is for shaving my head. I am a bald male who prefers not to use a razor blade across my head and instead enjoys the comfort of using an electric razor as an alternative.

Norelco has always been my choice of rotary razor, and for years I have been using various models. The most recent model was their Speed-XL series (with HQ9 replacement heads) which are expensive but well made. After owning this particular model for the past 3 years, I decided it was time to replace the unit.

I found out that buying a new Norelco razor is not an easy chore. If you are reading this review, you probably have been knocked silly by the sheer amount of different Norelco razors that the company sells through Amazon. One has no clue (outside of the reviews) which is the newer models or which one is superior to the other. As of this review, I think the PowerTouch razors are the new line of offerings this year. They include the PT720, PT730, AT810 and AT830.

My first choices were the AT810 and AT830. Thought it would be great to have a Norelco that I could use wet in the shower. However, I stopped dead in my tracks when I realized that those two razors could only be operated on battery power. Mind you, I had no intention of plugging in the razor and walking into the shower with it -- and I am certain Norelco disabled the ability to do this just on safety ethics. However, from experience I have learned that the batteries in these razors become less and less efficient over the years of ownership and I would much rather use it corded at home and save the battery for travel.

The PT730 became the obvious next best choice for me though I was concerned by some of the reviews that cited it as being cheaply built.

Having used this razor for the past two days, I can tell you a few things about it....

First, if you are coming from an older, more expensive Norelco you will immediately notice that the PT730 does indeed feel cheap. It's a basic no-frills razor with none of the bells-and-whistles of the more expensive choices. But you know what? I wasn't in the mood to spend more than $50 for a rotary razor and I got exactly what I expected.

The huge surprise came when I began shaving my head. The Norelco managed to provide an exceptional close shave with little effort. Unlike my older Norelco, I did not have to make multiple passes over the same area to get a smooth, clean shave. Suffice to say, I am very happy with this purchase and I think you will be too.

I read several reviews, and although it seemed that it was a good buy, many of the reviews I found cautioned that it wasn't the best for heavier facial hair. Since the price was right, I made the purchase. True to the other reviews, I found that it does lack a little in the cutting department, but does not fail completely. Allow me to elaborate.

One - two days worth of full stubble is not that big of a deal. I shave almost every morning, and found that this razor did a pretty good job taking care of about 97% of the hair. I did have to go in with a disposable to hit around the sideburns, but I expected to do so from the get-go.

Two & 1/2 - Four days worth of stubble is pretty spotty. Don't get me wrong, there's no grinding of the tiny motors, or smoke coming from the device when using it under these conditions... but I did notice that it missed a hair here, and a hair there. Actually, missing a few noticeable ones all over the neck.

So in the long run, If you're shaving with it every day, then, YES, this is a great razor. I have not noticed any irritation or problems from using it, it gets under and around the nose area very well, and it holds a pretty good charge. But if you're looking to use it once a week between a lot of growth, you may wish to look elsewhere.

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I have used the Norelco razor for over 55 years and always thought they gave the best shave. My children gave me two model 6940's that I have been using for a couple of years and needed to be replaced so I dedided to try the PT730. I find that it is much quieter than the previous model and gives the best shave I have ever had with any of the Norelco's that I have owned. I really like the ease of cleaning with running water and it holds the charge for at least a week...I charge it every Saturday so it probably would last longer than a week. Works well for me and I recommend it to anyone. My wife says it cuts closer than the multiple blade soap and water razor.

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I've used Norelco shavers for ... at least 4 decades. My latest shaver gave up the ghost after a decade. I ordered the PT730 as a compromise between frills (battery indicator) and features (pop up trimmer). The special pricing by Amazon was a strong inducement.

My first impression is that the shaver is built very cheaply for the price. It is lighter, possibly owing to the switch from heavier Ni-Cd batteries. The cut is less efficient than had from prior Norelco shavers, possibly because the motor seems to spin at a slower speed. I suppose the razor is OK, but its definitely not the best.

ADDENDUM

I find that I have to use a regular blade every week or so to "catch up" with overgrowth. After a year or so, I'd have to conclude that I'm not impressed with this razor.

You can save money by waiting for price dips. This new model dropped briefly to $45 on March 1, 2012. The previous model (7310) often hit $35. There's an "Online Price Alert" that will email you whenever this or any amazon product dips below your target price. Google it. It's nicely done. Or try camelcamelcamel.

As a lifelong Norelco electric razor user, my husband says that the Norelco PT730 Rechargeable Cordless/Cord Tripleheader Razor is one of the best he has ever used. Some may say that an electric razor does not shave as close as shaving with a manual blade razor and shaving cream. Some may enjoy the ritual that goes along with manual shaving. I think most men are mistaken. The Norelco PT730 gives an incredibly close and comfortable shave, easily matching the results of a wet razor shave. (As a wife, I can feel it, too!) He hated the mess of shaving cream and gel, constantly replacing dull razors and walking out of the bathroom with tiny bits of tissue covering a cut or two. (Not sexy!) Even the best manual shavers will cut skin occasionally.

The first thing that impressed me about this razor is the sleek, ergonomic design. It feels good in your hand. It was also charged out of the box, which was unexpected. My husband tried it immediately, and said the shave rivaled his blade experiences--very close, very smooth. The pivoting/floating blade heads create an even and stubble-free shave, and the trimmer makes trimming the sideburns and moustache a breeze. Just run the razor under water to clean. It does not get easier than this!

I have seen the evolution of electric razors over the decades and cannot believe the progress that has been made. At one time, electric razors could not compete with the close shave a wet manual razor gave, but times have changed. The Norelco PT730 Rechargeable Cordless/Cord Tripleheader Razor is more than a convenience. There's no mess, no fuss, no blades to replace, and no cuts (or necessary tissue). Both your mirror and your mate will love you for it.

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Purchased a PT730 and it never did shave close, after over 50 years with good Norelco experience. It ran past the 45 day trial period, so I couldn't send it back. The pop up trimmer shaved closer than did the cutters, and it came in a sealed container, so it was new. I then ordered a 7380XL, which cost about twice as much, but it shaves closer than a blade, so my faith in Norelco is restored. They both use the HQ8 cutters, so that is a mystery as to why they are different.

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I have used Norelco shavers for years. This one is really good. It gives a close, smooth shave. I like the trimmer for doing neck hair and mustache hair. You can pop open the head and rinse it out to clean it. That's very easy. Another thing I like is that this just comes with the shaver and recharger. There is not any stuff in the package that I just throw away (like a desktop recharge stand).